DBQ Effects of 19 Century Technology

DBQ: Effects of 19 th Century Technology
Mr. Jones, Schroon Lake Central School
Historical Context
Technology and innovation can have dramatic effects on society. Three technological developments of
the 19 th century that changed society were the Erie Canal, the railroads, and the cotton gin.
Task
• Describe the historical circumstances of each development.
• Explain some of the ways each development affected society.
Some Recommended Outside Information
• History of the Erie Canal
• Slavery in the antebellum (“pre-Civil War”) south
• Industrialization in the north
The Best Essay…
• Thoroughly develops all aspects of the task evenly and in depth
• Is more analytical than descriptive (analyzes, evaluates, and/or creates information)
• Incorporates relevant information from at least “half plus one” documents
• Incorporates substantial relevant outside information
• Richly supports the theme with many relevant facts, examples, and details
• Demonstrates a logical and clear plan of organization; includes an introduction and a conclusion that
are beyond a restatement of the theme
1

Part A
Short-Answer Questions
Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document in the
space provided.
Document 1A
By 1825, the Erie Canal gave another boost to New York’s already busy seaports.
Commercial vessels could now travel north up the Hudson River all the way to Lake Erie.
This new waterway not only connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, it caused a
terrific boon [increase] in industry all along the Hudson River and made New York’s ports
and harbor more valuable than ever.
Between 1830 and 1860, New York City grew at an astounding rate. ...
Source: Virginia Schomp, New York Celebrates the States, Benchmark
Document 1B
Prior to construction of the canal, New York City was the nation’s fifth largest seaport,
behind Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia and New Orleans. Within 15 years of its opening
[Erie Canal], New York [City] was the busiest port in America, moving tonnages greater
than Boston, Baltimore and New Orleans combined. . . .
Source: New York State Canal Corporation
1a Based on the documents, state one way the Erie Canal affected the economic growth of New York State. [1]
Score
b Based on the documents, state one way the Erie Canal affected the economic growth of New York City. [1]
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’03 [4]

Document 2
Shipping Freight During
the Erie Canal Era
(New York City to Buffalo)
Method
Amount of
Time
Cost
Dirt Road
Wagon
21 Days
$100/ton
Canal
Boat
8 Days
$10/ton
Source: James Silver, American History Activities,
The Center for Applied Research in Education (adapted)
2a According to this chart, how many days did it take to ship freight from New York City to Buffalo using the
Erie Canal? [1]
Score
b Using information from the chart, state two economic advantages of using the Erie Canal instead of dirt
roads to transport freight during the canal era. [2]
(1)
(2)
Score
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’03 [5] [OVER]

Document 3
3 Based on the map, state one way the Erie Canal was important to the economic growth of the United
States. [1]
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’03 [6]

Document 5
Population of Western Cities
City 1860 1890
Denver 2,603 106,713
Omaha 1,883 140,452
Portland 2,874 46,385
San Francisco 56,802 298,997
Source: Population Abstract of the United States
(from Creating America, McDougal Littell)
5 What does this chart show about the effect of the transcontinental railroad on the population of western
cities? [1]
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’03 [8]

Document 6
From the West, the railroads carried eastward such raw materials as lumber, minerals,
livestock, and grain. In midwestern cities like St. Louis, Chicago, Minneapolis, and
Cleveland, the raw materials were processed. Grain was milled into flour. Hogs became
bacon and hams. Cattle became beef. Iron ore was converted into steel. Lumber was cut
into wood for housing. The processed goods were shipped by rail to eastern cities. From
eastern cities, in turn, came manufactured goods, which were sold to westerners. . . .
Source: Lorna Mason et al., America’s Past and Promise, McDougal Littell
6 Based on this passage, state two ways the railroads influenced economic growth in the United States. [2]
(1)
(2)
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’03 [9] [OVER]

Part A
Short-Answer Questions
Directions: Analyze the documents and answer the short-answer questions that follow each document in
the space provided.
Document 1
Eli Whitney invented the mechanical cotton gin in 1793. Before this invention, removing seeds from
cotton was very time consuming.
Original Model of Eli Whitney
Cotton Gin, c. Early 1800s
Seed cotton
Diagram of How a
Cotton Gin Works
Cotton Gin
Metal mesh
Lint
Saw
Trash
Source: Smithsonian Institution
Seed
Lint cotton
Source: “Cotton: The Fiber of Life,”
Botany: Global Issues Map, McGraw Hill (adapted)
1 Based on this document, how did the use of this technology change the way cotton was processed?
[1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’09 [4]

Document 2
Cotton Production in America, 1800–1860
Source: Joyce Appleby et al., The American Journey, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1998 (adapted)
2a Based on this document, state one effect the cotton gin had on cotton production. [1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
b Based on this document, state one effect the cotton gin had on the growth of slavery. [1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’09 [5] [OVER]

Document 3a
. . . However, like many inventors, Whitney (who died in 1825) could not have foreseen
the ways in which his invention would change society for the worse. The most significant
of these was the growth of slavery. While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labor
of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for slaves to grow and pick the cotton. In
fact, the opposite occurred. Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it
greatly increased their demand for both land and slave labor. In 1790 there were six slave
states; in 1860 there were 15. From 1790 until Congress banned the importation of slaves
from Africa in 1808, Southerners imported 80,000 Africans. By 1860 approximately one in
three Southerners was a slave. . . .
Source: The Eli Whitney Museum
3a Based on this document, state one effect the invention of the cotton gin had on the number of slave
states. [1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
Document 3b
. . . Because of the cotton gin, slaves now labored on ever-larger plantations where work
was more regimented [organized] and relentless [unending]. As large plantations spread
into the Southwest, the price of slaves and land inhibited [slowed] the growth of cities and
industries. In the 1850s seven-eighths of all immigrants settled in the North, where they
found 72% of the nation’s manufacturing capacity. The growth of the “peculiar institution”
[slavery] was affecting many aspects of Southern life.
Source: The Eli Whitney Museum
3b Based on this document, state one effect the invention of the cotton gin had on the growth of cities and
industries in the South. [1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’09 [6]

Document 4
Transportation Methods of the mid-1800s
Method of
Transportation
Roads
Average
Speed
2 miles per hour
by wagon
6–8 miles per hour
by stagecoach
Shipping
Costs
15 cents per ton per mile
Canals
2–5 miles per hour 1.1 cents per ton per mile
Railroads
10–20 miles per hour
(including stops)
3.4 cents per ton per mile
Source: George Rogers Taylor, The Transportation Revolution, 1815 to 1860,
Rinehart and Company, 1951 (adapted)
4 Based on this chart, what was one advantage of using railroads compared with other methods of
transportation in the mid-1800s? [1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’09 [7] [OVER]

Document 5
Wanton [Merciless] Destruction of the Buffalo
Source: William Edward Webb, Buffalo Land, Hubbard Brothers, 1872 (adapted)
5 Based on this document, what was one negative effect of the railroad? [1]
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Score
Inter.-Level Social Studies — June ’09 [8]